Folding crate for poultry.



v No. 702,4n.

Patented lune'l, |902.

A. F. DICE. FOLDING cnAT Fon PouLTnY.

(Applicatio tiled Mar. 26, 1902.)

2K sheets-snaai 2.

(No Model.)

Jmunmmn Hlllw.

IIIIIIHIIII'HIIHII Patented June |7, |902.

A. F. DICE.

FOLDING CRATE FOB PUULTRY.

(Application led Mar. 28, 1902.)

' 2 Sheetsf-.Sheet l.

I (No Model.)

TH: Noms wnznsvca, novo-umm wAs'mafoN. n. c.

` UNITED STATEs PATENT i OFFICE.

ANDREIV F. DICE, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING CRATE FOR FOUL-TRY.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed March 26, 1902- To LZZ wtom it puny-concern: v

Be it known that I, ANDREW F. DICE, a citi-` Zen of the United States, residing in Joliet, Yin the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Crates for Poultry, of which the followingis a specification. i

My object in this invention is to providea folding crate for shipping poultry which 'will possess the necessary strength andpermanence to enable it to be returned to the shipper after it has been emptied and which possesses no detachable parts, so that there is no danger of any part becoming lost in shipment or in use.

The nature of the invention will be fully understood from the `description given below and from the accompanying drawings, in which latter- Figure 1 is a perspective of the crate when expanded and ready for use. Fig. 2 shows it collapsed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 4 isa horizontal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line 5 5of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, 10 represents thebottom' or ioor, having Vertical side pieces 11,to which'4 side pieces all the posts are pivoted. Of` these posts I employ three at each side, 12 12 being the corner-posts,and 13 the intermediate post. The corner-posts are preferably of an` gle-iron, one web permitting the attachment of the side slats and the other the end slats. The end slats 14 may be rigidly attached to the posts 12; but the side slats 15 and 16 are attached to 'the inside of the posts, and the slat 17, which is located between the other two, is attached to the outside of the posts. At the top is a frame consisting of side planks 18 and cross-pieces 19 19, and a series of slats 2O 2O and 21 are attached to the crosspieces. The slat 21 is movably attached to give access to the interior of the crate, being held by clips 22, attached to the cross-pieces.

The side pieces 11 and 18 and the side slats are all attached to the posts by bolts, which permit the movement of onepart relative to the other in folding and unfolding, and the ends of the slats15 and 16 are rounded off on the upper side at one end and the under side at the other end to permit the folding of the crate, and for the same purpose the posts Patent No. 702,411, dated June v1'7, 1902.

Serial No. 100,030. (No model.)

are all rounded olf at their `upper ends upon `one side and attheir `lower ends upon the other side, as shown at Fig. 3. With this construction the crate is readily folded into 'the condition' shown in Fig. 2, the bolts readilypermitting the necessary changes in relative positions of the parts.`

For the purpose of holding the crate in its expanded condition I place on the floor 10 and transversely of thesame a central cleat 23, which serves as an abutment for two braces 24; hinged to the ltop cross frame member 19 atene end of the crate, and a single folding brace 25, hinged to the other cross-bar'l), this latter brace being made in two parts hinged together by the hinge 26 and abutting against the same cleat 23. In expanding the crate the braces 24 are readily positioned against the cleat at any time previous to the straightening of brace 25; but after brace 25 has been straightened it causes such a compression on the braces 24 as to prevent their slipping above the cleat, and in like manner it will be seen that the braces 24 can be readily released after the brace 25 has been shortened, as shown in dotted' lines.` The movable slat 21 gives `ready access to the collapsible brace 25, so that the crate isvery'readily folded and unfolded. The post 13 is preferably made of fiat metal inorder that it may pass verti-` cally down between the outer slat and the inner ones.

The brace 25 is extensible and acts when straightened in the opposite direction from braces 24, so that by their united action the crate :is rendered very rigid; but the crate is intended to collapse by an endwise movement of the top in one direction only, and the side slats and posts are rounded upon one side only at each end, so that they permit movement in that direction and resist movement in the opposite directionby the interference between the endand side slats and between `the posts and the top and'bottom of the crate. The collapsing movement is resisted by the extensible brace,land.the opposing brace is employed torender the crate firm when erected and to create the pressure upon the extensible brace, which is desirable to retain it in action.

`The side slats 15 and 16 are entered between IOO the end slats, and the end slats also extend above and below said side slats, so that the rounding off of the latter becomes essential.

I Claim- 1. The folding crate having posts at its corners pivoted at top and bottom so they may be turned sidewise in the same direction, side slats extending from post to post and pivotally attached thereto so they Will permit the changes in position of the posts, and diagonal braces adjustable to positions in which they will retain the crate in its expanded condition, one of said braces being an extensible one, substantially as specified.

2. The folding crate having its postspivoted at top and bottom so they may be turned sidewise, side slats pivotally attached to the posts some inside and some outside the posts, and diagonal braces adjustable to positions in Which they retain the crate in its expanded condition, one of said braces being extensible, substantially as specified.

3. The folding crate having posts at its corners pivoted at top and bottoni so they may be turned sidewise in the same direction, side slats pivotally attached to said posts and extending from one corner-post to the other corner-post upon the same side, and adjustable and opposing diagonal braces for holding the crate expanded, one of such braces being extensible, substantially as specified.

4. The folding crate having corner-posts pivoted at top and bottom so they may be turned sidewise in the same direction, side slats pivotally attached to said posts and extending from the post at one corner to the post at the other corner on the same side of the crate, an abutment upon the fioor of the crate, and opposing braces hinged to the top of the crate and adapted to be positioned so as to bear against the abutment, substantially as specified.

5. The folding crate having its posts pivoted at top and bottom so they may be turned sidewise, side slats pivotally attached to the posts, end slats attached to the posts at the corners, land adjustable oppositely-acting braces for holding the crate expanded, substantially as specified.

6. The folding crate having its posts pivoted at top and bottom so they may be turned sidewise, side slats pivotally attached to the posts, end slats attached to the posts at the corners, and adjustable oppositely acting braces for holding the crate expanded, the side slats having their ends rounded oft', substantially as specified.

ANDREW F. DICE.

Witnesses:

EDW. S. EvARTs, H. M. MUNDAY. 

